​March is the month that brings us Purim! Adar is associated with joy in gratitude for the Purim outcome: anti-Semites (Haman and company) at the highest levels of government organized a plan to do us all in, and thankfully they were thwarted. Purim is the holiday that exemplifies the joke “describing” the angst some associate with Jewish ritual: “they tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!”The nervousness accompanying such humor is the theme of Purim and a reminder that as many years as we have survived, nothing is assured in facing the unknown. Anti-Semitism is at such a heightened level that the French President, as I write these words, has thankfully spoken publicly to the Jewish Community making it known that from now on, anti-Zionism, hatred of Israel, is to be understood as anti-Semitism. The irony in our finding ourselves once again in a climate that is changing in many ways, including, the increase of anti-Semitic incidents, worldwide, is that in spite of facing such pressures now and throughout history (some would suggest because of…) Jewish life and community continues unabated, for some 4000 years, tracing back to the first of us: Abraham and Sarah. Nations have come and gone, each assuming it would last forever. So many of them did their best to place us in the history books or worse, to have us disappear without a trace, i.e. the most blatant of such attacks, the Shoah. What adds to the amazement of our continuity is the quality of what we, so few in numbers, have brought to light to the world, without even doing it in the classic Prophetic sense, as Light to the Nations. Our light, (albeit, shining the glimmer of hope for us in the US since our country is founded and grounded in Torah principles…rights of people as children of God) has shone mostly through individual Jewish and Israeli contributions to health, communication, education, social consciousness, technical advances, and so much more emerging through the offices of the State of Israel and its citizens…i.e. a spacecraft, Beresheet, is now on its way to the moon, as I write these words!So, what keeps us going, that we are still at it, thousands of years later, having witnessed scores of nations enter the annals of history that each had designated for us? Gifts from HaShem, that sustain us and keep us focused on the blessings of life, and choosing Life!It starts with the teachings and stories of Torah that keep us connected to our past and inspired to carry it forward. Accentuating stories, especially mindful that they were not created for children, we add our own stories to the annals of the past, even as we ponder them metaphorically for insights into the present. The stories remind us how human pettiness and jealousies continue to plague individuals and societies. The Purim story, the Book of Esther, introduces another force that has kept us alive through the ages, especially difficult times: humor and laughter, in releasing the tension and nervousness in a way that allows us to do what we can to distance ourselves from the sting and the pain. With Purim we turned a death sentence into a party of unbridled celebration and gratitude…and this comes from a story, unlike other books of the Bible, in which God is not even mentioned!On Saturday evening April 6, we will explore yet another key to our continuity: the power of song and dance and honoring the past. In screening “Hava Nagila, the Movie” we will learn of two aspects of Jewish history: the story of the birth and life of the amazing almost anthem, Hava Nagila, and in so doing, its contribution to Jewish endurance of conditions of the last century and more as Jews lived and adapted and celebrated ups and downs, accounting for the most recent century in our thousands year old history. I look forward to seeing you in costume this Purim as we enjoy the fruits of survival and continuity and the party that follows: Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 PM…and I look forward to seeing you for the B’nai Israel premier of Hava Nagila, the Movie at the CBI theater (the social hall) on Saturday April 6 at 7:30 PM. Each of us has our unique stories of the parts we play in the continuity of the Jewish people. I look forward to times to share with you in continuing to build new memories for future life times, at services, study sessions, holidays and special occasions where we gather!

Left to our own tendencies, we are inclined to take much of life for granted and allow our attention to dwell more on what is wrong in the course of a day than what is right. That is only natural, even if it is not helpful, in terms of energy level or perspective on life.

As I indicated a couple of months ago, our Judaic system would have us focus on gratitude, noticing what goes well and can render us joyful vs. what we find annoying and not going as we had planned or hoped.

For anyone yearning for some happiness, welcome to the Hebrew month of Adar, which begins Tuesday evening, February 4. The “proclamation” for this month is: Be Happy! It’s Adar. The sages add: when Adar arrives, we abound in Simcha…happiness and joy! Indeed, Adar’s arrival coincides with days growing in light. In January we celebrated one of 4 Jewish New Years, TuBishvat, the New Year for trees and nature. Spring and sprouting of new life is not far away.

This year the joy of Adar is doubled because we are in a leap year in the Jewish calendar. Remember how early Rosh Hashanah was this year, 5779? Well, we will welcome 5780, next Rosh Hashanah, almost a month later, at the end of September. In the Hebrew calendar, instead of adding a day in a leap year, we add a month at the end of the monthly calendar year. Since Adar is the last month (and Nisan, the first month, giving us Passover and Jewish beginnings as a people), we add an extra month of Adar, an extra month of happiness!

And what is the happiness we associate with Adar? The arrival of Purim: the holiday of laughter and joy and the story of Mordecai and Esther prevailing over the wicked Haman (Boo! Hiss!), who conspired to destroy the Jews of ancient Persia. How ironic that Persia i.e. Iran, is so threatening to survival, yet again, in this case for the world, given the instability associated with their nuclear program. I know I am getting ahead of myself and the calendar since Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, in a leap year, putting it in March, yet I cannot overlook how nice it is to have an extra month of Adar to remind us to find increasing happiness in our lives, especially when times are difficult in so many ways and for so many people.

Paradoxically, the happiness of Purim, which generates such joy for the months of Adar, emerged out of real world problems and solutions described in the Book of Esther, that left us stunned and awed by gifts of life overshadowing fears of death and the sadness of human cruelty in all its forms.

Jewish tradition associates happiness not as a goal, nor as a means to escape sadness and ignore problems. Rather, we derive happiness, first by forcing ourselves to notice whatever/whoever is good in our lives, be they significant or easily overlooked. Next, we generate happiness by consciously, mindfully and steadfastly doing as much good as we can: seeing good, speaking of good, and actively pursuing a life of mitzvah. We commit ourselves to doing what is right, what is kind, caring, compassionate and serving God by treating each other as God’s Countenance…each of us vessels and vehicles of God in how we make moments in peoples’ lives blessings.

So, in the happiness of Adar is the opportunity to refocus on the partnership of Torah and Mitzvah, learning the power and importance of accepting responsibility; we learn what we must to know that we are accountable for changing the energy in this world, in order that there be no more Hamans (Boo! Hiss!) nor Pharaohs, not in ourselves, or in the governance of our world, to whatever degree we can influence that.

Enjoy this leap year associated with 5779, and let us each find increasing happiness in our feelings of worthiness, as we see what is good, say it, as well, and devote our time to our partnership with HaShem, in bringing blessings into the lives of those with whom we share life’s journey.

Meanwhile, do what you can to live by these words, for the two upcoming months: BE HAPPY! IT’S ADAR…ADAR 1 with ADAR 2, immediately following! Let’s make happiness abound through the goodness we bring into the lives of one another and into CBI, our community home for noticing and celebrating life’s joys and blessings.

As we enter 2019, it is notable that, Jewishly, we continue with the year 5779 in the Jewish calendar, which marked the change in years on Rosh Hashanah. We celebrate a New Year very differently, Jewishly, than we do with the Gregorian calendar, given the secular tendency to leave the old behind and welcome the new, while with Rosh Hashanah, we embark on the New Year with a close study of and reflection on the year that was.

Beyond this vivid difference between forgetting the old vs. remembering it, and studying it closely, as lessons to absorb for making the coming year better, Judaism focuses on time and our relationship to it in a unique way. While western society moves in a linear fashion from year to year into the unknown as we set goals or resolutions and strive to meet them, Jewishly, we are grounded in time as a mystery; we do not presume to know or anticipate outcomes as we schedule goals to achieve them. Instead, we live with uncertainty accompanied by an acceptance of Covenant with HaShem.

It all began with promises of greatness to the Ancestors, particularly assurances to Abraham that he and his people would settle in the land that God showed him, Canaan…Israel. What is paradoxical is that despite God’s promises and assurances of our future in Eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel, we have found ourselves throughout Jewish history more outside the land than dwelling in it. The fact that the restoration of Israel in our own time is in its 70th year is beyond remarkable; it is miraculous…a reminder that David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister was guided by the principle that in Israel, to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles!

Jewish relationship with time is paradoxical in that from the moment God showed Moses the night sky on the eve of the first of Nisan marking Jewish liberation from Egypt and an exchange of calendars, from one generated by Pharaoh’s schedule to one presented by God, we have been dedicated to making each moment of time Holy, i.e. Kadosh. We have been tasked with focusing our efforts on partnering with God to make the world Kadosh in pursuit of the day and era when all humankind lives in the state of Shalom, where all parts and groups fit respectfully into the transcendent whole.

In our Covenantal system we have been taught to live with uncertainty and an inability to predict outcomes. As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks teaches in his drash observing the close of the story of the family of the Ancestors as presented in the book of Genesis, we enter a transition from the safety of an Egypt that honored Joseph to a change in circumstances generated by the rise of a Pharaoh who did not “know”, i.e. remember or feel any special relationship with, Joseph. Our fate was turned from being treated as honored guests to becoming considerable threats to be handled cleverly. Accordingly we entered hundreds of years of enslavement.

So, our Covenant, which has been our framework for understanding time and living our journeys, did not bring certainty or security in terms of predicting the outcome God promised our Ancestors. As Rabbi Sacks indicated in his teaching, when a prediction comes true it is considered to be a success; when prophesy comes true it is considered to be a failure. Prophetic warnings of a dire future were efforts to induce us to change our ways and thereby our presumed destiny. Our security does not reside in predicting the outcome; it is grounded in the assurance that no matter how difficult conditions may be or become, we still have our partnership with God; it reminds us in the words of Rabbi Tarfon, that while we are not obliged to finish the task, neither are we free to abandon it.

Entering 2019 it is tempting to throw out the calendar and start over with hopes that this year we might get “it” right and lead our world back to the safe haven of calm, wellbeing and prospects of world peace. Jewishly, we are taught to keep studying the lessons of the past and see what we can do to strengthen the partnership with HaShem, i.e. with each other, in continuing to learn how to work with one another in pursuing goals that will make the world safer than it is at this time, whether in terms of how nations are behaving or how it is going with the weather that continues to stir concerns about our planet’s hospitality for human life and for all of life.

Throughout the Torah we have moments shared by HaShem with promises of a good, healthy and blessed future, amidst stories of ongoing obstacles, challenges and overwhelming conditions that seem to keep that era of Shalom far in the future. Regardless, we are to be unflagging in our commitment to partnership with God and our understanding that with such light shining the way, we will remain steadfast in the partnership and the possibilities it offers for all of us participating in redeeming our world.

May the promise of 2019 be vouchsafed by the work we continue to dedicate ourselves to doing, in the continuation of 5779, to bring our world closer to the Age of Shalom for which we all yearn.

With Chanukah beginning the evening of December 2nd, the light shed during this joyous holiday brings welcome perspective on life these days.

The Menorahs that we light remind us of God’s blessings and miracles that saved us as a people against all odds from the might and power of the Syrian branch of the Greek Empire, as the Maccabees vanquished them and reclaimed the Temple and Jewish rule in 165 BCE.

The holiday as we know it turned on a story written some 70 years after the events and likely one of the very few examples of Jewish custom based on story rather than fact. Had the holiday followed the facts and celebrated the deeds as recorded by the Maccabees then it is highly unlikely the Jewish people would have continued to exist.

After the decline of Greece, Rome came onto the scene. Were they to have encountered a Chanukah celebration that focused on the triumph of the few over the mighty, and the discomfiture of the previous dominant power, in all likelihood they would have moved sooner than later to do what the Greeks failed to do and crush our courageous warriors.

Cleverly, our sages zoned in on the story they found in a small manuscript, the Scroll of Antiochus telling of the miracle of oil we know so well. In so doing, they turned all the energy, from the power and strength of the Maccabees defending their land and the people’s existence, to the Spirit of God’s Presence in saving the people, symbolized by a small cask of oil lasting 8 days. A military event was transformed into a spiritual celebration of God’s miracles in saving the people, and the future.

When you ponder so many distressing conditions in the world, most recently the wildfire that destroyed Paradise and displaced thousands of folks and broadened its impact with the hazardous air that covered the extended Bay Area, and beyond, you are reminded of how fragile our controls are.

In the aftermath of the massacre of the Shabbat attending folks in Pittsburgh and the outpouring of support by so many communities, with the local Muslim community in particular raising significant funds for those stricken, we are confronted by the contrasting realities of power and might wreaking havoc while the spirit of empathy, love and support grows in directions of healing.

B’nai Israel was on the receiving end of such an outpouring when we held our service of memory and healing with people of many different spiritual and faith communities joining in. That energy continued with our interfaith Thanksgiving service attended again by folks of a variety of traditions and St. Paul’s new rector Reverend Annie Pierpoint Mertz accentuating the importance of the ongoing bond between B’nai Israel and St. Paul’s and her commitment to see that their church assertively fights anti-Semitism.

The message of Chanukah transcends the logistical reality that had the Maccabees not won their impossible war there would have been no daughter traditions emerging centuries later, i.e. Christianity and Islam. The deeper and abiding lesson of Chanukah, which the rabbis of Roman times intuited is that even with the military prowess of the Maccabees (for many years, if not still the case, instructors at West Point taught their hit and run strategies to cadets), the future would not be assured by might alone, but by the Spirit, as in God’s Presence, that can affect attitude, energy and commitment to address challenges, no matter how impossible or overwhelming.

Such Spirit does us well to tap into in these alarming times, when we don’t know where the next threat may come from, whether a fire, or flood, or earthquake, or a human created disaster as seems to happen almost daily with shootings and attacks. With inundation of unsettling and frightening acts in so many different ways and avenues of life, the one unseen, unheard and unaccounted for energy and force that can tip the scales and even help us regain balance, is the Spirit of God’s Presence. It manifests as we each try to help those stricken, with our own ways of support (i.e. cash and gift cards for food and clothing is most needed in the Paradise community).

The urge and commitment to care is what allows us to move forward with the Spirit, that God is with us as we strive to be forces for good. Chanukah reminds us and enjoins us to tap into that Spirit and find hope in knowing that whatever forces are at work to disrupt our lives, God is also a factor to be reckoned with, in a very good way, as we harness teachings of kindness, caring and helping, where we can, to turn what is bad to what can become good, as humans pursue Shalom.

I look forward to celebrating Chanukah with you, both on December 2 and at the holiday concert December 8, as we engage the teaching of Zachariah the Prophet (chapter 4, verse 6), imparting God’s comfort: “Not by power, nor by strength, but rather by My Spirit, says God”; that is the means by which to prevail.

Soon it will be Thanksgiving, for many of us, our favorite American holiday.

Being thankful is at the heart of a spiritual life, focusing on gratitude for blessings of what goes well during the bustle of a busy day, in a world more conducive to noticing what is not to our liking.

Aches, pains, frustrations, disappointments, and missteps usually grab more of our energy than focus on parts of the day that are satisfying and rewarding. Instead of generating joy and happiness with all the good stuff going on, it is easier to overlook the positives and allow ourselves to be pulled down and drained by whatever goes wrong.

Jewishly, Thanksgiving is not a seasonal matter. It is “celebrated” every morning in the Siddur, our prayer book, in our reciting the “Birchot HaShachar”, a detailed litany of praises and utterances of appreciation for so much that is good in life, as we remind ourselves that, for the most part, what goes well in life is more the reality than what is wrong.

These blessings of appreciation provide a helpful and healthy list of what we could include as part of our gratitude on Thanksgiving Day.

What makes these blessing especially meaningful is that they reflect the fullest sense of what it means to be Jewish. The word “Jew”, from “Yehuda”/ “Judah” derives from the root “L’hodot”, to be thankful. Every time you say "todah", “Thank you” to someone, you are tapping into the root for being Jewish; to be “Jewish” is to be thankful!

Which of the following blessings of thankfulness help the most in encouraging you to be more positive about your journey through life?

They are found on pp. 103 and 104 in our Siddur Lev Shalem, and we do them at each Shabbat morning service. I even include some of them when leading one of my favorite services of the week, Sunday mornings with the children (to which adults are always invited!)

They flow in this order:

“Thank U (in daily context I think of God as U KNOW HU)…for enabling me to distinguish one moment from another, as in the difference between day and night.

Thank U for making me in your image, with the ability and respons-ability to choose freely to do good…or not

Thank U for making me free to choose my attitude about life

Thank U for making me “Yisrael”, a wrestling (or hugging) partner in relationship with U

Thank U for enabling me to overcome blindness to conditions in the world I otherwise might not see

Thank U for clothing me in modesty and not covering me up in deception

Thank U for freeing me from being knotted up in overwhelming stress

Thank U for enabling me to move, as in to rise up, in appreciation that most of my body is functioning okay

Thank U for the beauty and grandeur of this physical world, as the earth stretches over the water

Thank U for guiding me and being with me, enabling me to be at my best, with each step along my path in Life

Thank U for taking care of each and so many of my ongoing needs

Thank U for empowering me as Yisrael in being courageous in my partnership as a “wrestler” with U

Thank U for crowning me, as Yisrael, in a partnership of splendor and beauty

Thank U for giving me strength when I am physically or spiritually exhausted

Thank U for removing sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.”

These blessings come to a close with a paragraph reminding us of the importance of the contexts and people we choose to accompany us in life. It is expressed in the plural, in accentuating community:

May it be satisfying to U, God of our Ancestors, to guide us, through Your Torah, and that we be integrally connected with U in doing Your Mitzvot, actions and behavior in alignment with U. And do not bring us, neither to the hand of wrongdoing, nor error, nor inappropriate behavior, mistakes, imbalances, pushing buttons, nor willful mischief. And don’t allow the Yetzer Ra, the inclination to do bad/mischief, to rule or govern us. . And distance us from a bad person and from a bad friend/neighbor. And enable us to hold tight to the Yetzer Tov, the inclination to do good and generate good doings. And harness/control our inclinations, both of them, to work for and in service to U. And give us today, and every day, contexts to be in a state of grace/graciousness, reflected in caring action/loving kindness, and compassion, in Your Eyes, and in the eyes of all who see us, and generate in all of us, caring actions/loving kindness. Baruch are U, Adonai (YHVH, Consciousness in Time), Who/HU renders caring action/loving kindnesses to God’s people Yisrael.

May the happiness and gratitude associated with Thanksgiving Day, this year, inspire us all to turn negatives to positives and transform the lives of us all and all our dear ones in the direction of a world rediscovering peace and wellness and wholeness.

The day before Yom Kippur, a fascinating inquiry came our way as to B’nai Israel’s attitude and or position on Israel. What follows is the inquiry to our president, Jan Leventhal with copy to me, and my response. Of significance is how the interchange resulted in a special and memorable program to which we were treated on Yom Kippur by a Bay Area expert on Israel.

Dear Ms. Leventhal:

I am poised to join the congregation. I have been coming to Shabbat services and other events off-and-on for about 2 years. There are many things that I like about your congregation, Rabbi White foremost.

But there is one issue that gives me pause: Support for Israel. I have noticed that aside from Hadassah, Israel-related issues seem invisible in the congregation. For example, there are no lectures, invited speakers or events about Israel. No AIPAC, Stand with Us or Friends of the IDF representatives have appeared at the synagogue. This is of great concern to me.

My prior experience with these issues is that some congregations are Israel-indifferent. They find time for all kinds of programming and events except for those about Israel. I have chosen to avoid such congregations.

I am not advocating a particular view of Israeli politics, nor am I suggesting the congregation adopt one. And while I have my preferences where Israel’s government is concerned, support for Israel’s safety and security should have nothing whatever to do with the particular government that may be in power at any particular time.

As a Zionist, I believe that American Jews should respect the choices Israelis make about the government they wish to lead them, regardless of whether we like or do not like those choices. As Jews, I believe we have a continuing responsibility to the Jewish people, to their safety and welfare.

I would be most grateful if you could give me some idea of where your congregation stands on these issues: Are you Israel-averse or -indifferent, preferring to ignore anything that might be controversial, or are you unabashedly pro-Israel? Or are you somewhere in between? Would you support bringing representatives from pro-Israel organizations to B’nai Israel?

Sharing your views on this and related issues would be most appreciated.

Sincerely,Jacob K

My abridged response:

Hi, Jacob,While as a synagogue we have not to my knowledge taken an official position, as spiritual leader, I am committed to our supporting Israel and the understanding that without the reemergence and ongoing existence of Israel, I question whether we would have survived as a people after the Shoah.

FYI: a best friend of mine is Dr. Mike Harris, Founder of Stand with Us (who comes from Marin to CBI with his wife for the Days of Awe; [did you see him at the 2nd day Rosh Hashanah service?}), and we have had Mike talk with us a couple of times and encouraging folks to purchase his book, Winning a Debate with an Israel-Hater.

What would be wonderful about having you as a member would be the opportunity to have your input and motivation for increasing CBI programming and exposure to activities in support of Israel.

While I admit it has become increasingly complicated encouraging folks' unbridled support for Israel, I am unflagging in my commitment that if we are to err in any way it is in making sure we continue to show steadfast support even if troubled by various policies under the present government.

Thanks again for checking in regarding the importance of CBI being committed to Israel's health, well-being and future as light and home to Jewish continuity!

The timing of Jacob’s inquiry on the eve of Yom Kippur was significant in that it inspired me to contact Mike, since he was already joining us for the Days of Awe, about the possibility of his sharing some insights about Israel during Yom Kippur day. And, he was kind enough to do so! One thing led to the next and what resulted in addition was the opportunity for folks to sit with him during the break in the day for further discussion on ways for us to stay connected with Israel. As I pointed out in my Yom Kippur drash, were it not for the existence of Israel and my opportunity to study in Jerusalem for a year while in college and another two distinct years while at the seminary, I am certain I would not have become a rabbi.

It turns out Mike enjoyed his opportunity to share with CBI members and friends and indicated at the Break the Fast that it was the easiest fast for him in years! So, we can count on other opportunities to learn with Mike during the year and to look forward to further updates next Yom Kippur!

He also indicated that he is coming out with a revised edition of his seminal work enabling folks to understand how and why to keep closely connected with Israel however turbulent the times continue to be. Look for it in time for Chanukah, and look to be part of increasing programming in support of Israel here at CBI, thanks both to Mike Harris, and now to Jacob, who looks forward to joining our synagogue now that he is clear that Israel is an important aspect of our connections with Judaism, as we explore life’s issues together.

I am left with the awe of the timing of Jacob’s inquiry; had he not shared it with us the day before Yom Kippur, it would not have occurred to me, at this time, to take advantage of the attendance at CBI of one of the best spokespeople on behalf of Israel that you will find in our area.

How fortunate I am to count Mike Harris and his family as among our closest friends. He is also a role model for “lay people” becoming passionate about a particular subject resulting in them becoming experts in an important area of Jewish life.

We are entering one of those rare times when the fall cycle of Jewish holidays, except for the last two days (Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah), is celebrated in September. With September permeated by these observances, it gives pause to appreciate not only the flow of energy and purpose from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah, but also a structure to Judaism that is found in many ways.

The Jewish observance cycle and our way of life is grounded in a three part molecular structure, found in a variety of ways throughout each day, on Shabbat and throughout the year. Those who observe the entire cycle of Shabbat will find it in the content of the Amidah, the standing prayer/visit with HaShem, beginning with Shabbat evening. In that service the focus is on gratitude for God creating Shabbat/stopping; in the creation of this unique day of non-creating, we focus on the miracle of new beginnings, all the time. On Shabbat morning the Amidah focuses on the gift of revelation, the gift of Torah, with the focus of this reflection/meditation on gratitude to God for the gift of Shabbat as given to us in the Torah. In the Shabbat Mincha/afternoon service the Amidah reflects on the rejoicing of the Ancestors celebrating the complete restfulness of this day, a feeling of redemption. The ultimate goal and purpose of Shabbat is to connect us with a taste of God’s blessings in Life Eternal, linking that world with ours and energizing us to do our part to make the week to come one that brings us closer to a world redeemed.

In the holiday cycle throughout the year we have the same structure: the theme of Creation expressed with our launch as a people with the Exodus from Egypt and our Passover celebration. 50 Days later we experience the second theme, Revelation/Purpose, with the gift of Torah given to us at Mt. Sinai and the celebration of Shavuot. The third theme, Redemption is associated with Sukkot, the harvest of life and appreciation for all the blessings of accomplishment, as we begin again, the New Year that now unfolds with the close of our holiday season.

The Daily and Shabbat prayer cycle that introduces each Amidah also reflects this molecular structure: Creation, Revelation and Redemption.

With the fall holidays almost entirely populating the month of September this year, we can even see this cycle in that context: Rosh Hashanah celebrates God’s creating the world with specific focus on this holiday on the creation of the human being, associated with Adam and Eve, and accordingly we begin a new year in the world cycle. What follows is the focus on revelation and lessons in life to apply, a ten day process of reflection on teachings and guidance, to change and transform our ways to become better partners with God in addressing the challenges and shortcomings in our world, and most significantly, in ourselves.

The three part cycle closes with the Sukkot harvest holiday and the rejoicing of transitioning from redemption and the completion of the reading of Torah to begin again the cycle that permeates our calendar and our year.

This cycle that we observe and celebrate this month, Tishri, in the Hebrew cycle, serves to provide transformative healing powers for individual and community health, wellbeing, and hopefulness for a better future.

The first part of the cycle, with Rosh Hashanah starting us off in this particular iteration of our cycle fills us with optimism and even happiness associated with apples and honey. No matter how mired we may feel about our world and conditions with which we live, we always have the next moment to turn to and with God’s partnership to transform energy and possibility to move in a better and holier direction than we may find ourselves as we approach these Days of Awe.

The second part of the cycle, with the Ten Days of Teshuva/change in direction, reflects God’s second greatest gift after a functioning mind/heart, the ability to change, to redirect, to learn anew; it is a reminder that we are never locked into a position that seems hopeless of generates pessimism or despair.

The third part of the cycle, with Sukkot culminating in Simchat Torah, gives us much to rejoice in, even in times that seem filled with worry, fear and alarm. With God’s help, as we connect with it through helping one another and addressing imbalances in our world, we will yet see a good and healthier world and lifecycle, as we honor and celebrate this molecular structure of Judaism.

These are known as the Days of Awe, because they are filled with promise for better times, thanks to God’s presence and guidance, in ways that are at times and often impossible to comprehend.

May the awe that fills these days fill our hearts with the promise of a better future as we do our part in reflection and commitment to change what we must to make it a good and better year in welcoming 5779.

I remember from my youth that as school let out the teachers would provide a suggested list of books to read during the summer break. While each of us may have a favorite author to catch up on, as a people we have a special book that grabs our attention at this time of year: the fifth book of the Torah, Devarim, Deuteronomy, in English.

Devarim is unique among the Five Books of Moses in that, while the first four provide history, accounts, stories, along with lessons and laws learned in the Wilderness over 40 years, this last book is different. Moses is addressing, in the last month of his life, the new generation that was raised in the wilderness. The reason there are two iterations (and by no means identical) of the Ten Commandments (more accurately the Ten Utterances) is that in Shemot (Exodus, in English) we hear them as they are presented originally to the people at Sinai, and in Devarim we hear Moses sharing his perspective on them to the new generation. The entire book of Devarim (meaning “Words”) consists of Moses’ last words, Farewell Address, to this new generation.

The uniqueness of this fifth book, in contrast to the first four, is how it both summarizes the core principles and values uncovered during the 40 years and represents a reiteration of the Covenant between God and the people of Israel as presented to them by Moses. As we learn from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks in his commentary on the first portion of this book, what Moses presents is a structure of the Covenant akin to the kinds of treaties made in ancient times between kings and their subjects. What makes this treaty a first is that instead of mortals striking agreements with each other, with the subjects accepting the rule of a king in all its contractual details, you have the Power of the Universe striking a deal with an entire people. With Moses reiterating it for the new generation, you have echoes of processes by which treaties were set among ancient peoples with the inclusion of 6 aspects of the treaty, which you find in Moses’ address throughout this book. He begins with a preamble indicating this is a contract generated from God; he indicates the history and background of a relationship between God and Israel that leads to this treaty, i.e. the Covenant; he provides the substance of the Covenant, which is why we have the second iteration of the Ten Commandments coupled with the cornerstone of Jewish commitment in this treaty with God: the Shema and Veahavta, the expression of love for God. Next he indicates that the substance of this treaty will be first ceremonially set upon the stones of Mt. Eval and afterward placed and protected in the Ark of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle they built and which accompanied them during the wilderness years. Then, as in the template for ancient treaties, Moses indicates the sanctions and consequences for keeping the Covenant, or not doing so, blessings or curses that will accrue based on the success or failure of this commitment. And the last part of this expression of Covenant to the new generation is the calling upon the Witness of Heaven and Earth to its ratification in making a choice between Life and Good and Death and Bad, that we choose Life!

The ramification of entering into a Covenant between the Power of the Universe and each and every one of our people is that each individual and family bears the responsibility of learning and teaching this Covenant in order to be able to move it forward with the next generations. That is why telling the story of the Exodus is such a significant part of our Jewish celebratory life, that the children learn the story well enough to keep future generations engaged with it, and for subsequent generations to know that when we celebrate the Giving of Torah, the Shavuot holiday, we always have to make an active choice to receive it.

Moving through this month of August, we come upon the Hebrew month that prepares us for the Days of Awe: Elul. The letters in Hebrew spell “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine!” In other words, in welcoming Elul a full month before the Days of Awe, we choose to reaffirm the Covenant, the partnership God gives us in each generation, so that we might dedicate ourselves to doing good and bringing blessing into this world as we prepare to enter a new year with renewed energy and commitment to do our part in making it a year of blessing and wellbeing for all.

So whatever other reading you are enjoying this summer, don’t overlook the longest standing best seller of all time! Our Bible, the Torah in particular, is filled with life affirming information and inspiration to take what we absorb in the quieter time of the year into the new cycle that awaits us, with renewed focus and purpose to make it a good and blessed new year!

As we move through summer, we welcome the preeminent seasonal holiday that celebrates our uniqueness as a country: The Fourth of July.

Unfortunately, this year the fireworks seem less connected to the joy of this day and more to the reality that a different kind of fireworks have been set off: the explosive burning up of values for which America is renowned, respect for the rights of every individual to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Who could imagine that it would be our country that would allow for a leader at the top to dismantle so many important principles upon which we stand: truth, caring, kindness, compassion, respect, integrity…pretty much every decent value that the Judaic system accentuates as our responsibility to live in partnership with God, by the way we treat God’s Creation, and all of life?

The tragic actions of separating parents and children at the border and creating conditions that make it doubtful many of these families will ever be reunited is a story more familiar to us out of what our people experienced during the rule of Nazi Germany. That such is happening within our borders, with children forcefully removed and placed in locations throughout the country, with virtually no paperwork that could enable families to ever find each other again, is unconscionable and contradictory to the principles upon which our country is founded, given its guarantees to vouchsafe everyone’s safety through the structure of our constitution.

This year the Fourth of July should serve to remind us of the importance and significance of calling our leaders to accountability for the values we are supposedly celebrating on that day.

How ironic, that 18 days later, a second “holiday”, actually better identified as an “observance”, is commemorated in the Jewish system, serving to remind us that unchecked and cruel power at the top destroys societies. The Jewish people were on the receiving end of the infliction of such unwarranted power. Sunday, July 22, we will observe Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, when Jewish sovereignty and independence was destroyed twice. It happened on this date, separated by hundreds of years: first by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and then in 70 CE by the Romans, with the First and Second Temples, respectively, destroyed, the city of Jerusalem laid in ruins, and Jewish governance brought to an end.

Human hatred for cultures and societies that are different sowed the seeds of this destruction. It took until our own times to regain balance enough to restore Jewish sovereignty in the rebuilding of the third Jewish commonwealth in 1948, with the reemergence of Israel as home for Jews, the few that survived the Shoah, along with Jews not welcomed in other lands.

Given the change in direction at the top of our country, reflecting a flouting of the values upon which America was established, a muted Fourth of July is more appropriate this year. And, accordingly, a heightened sense of inner reflection of the sadness of these times is called for in our observance of Tisha B’Av, which we will share in lamentation when we gather at CBI on Sunday, July 22 at 10 AM.

In all the years I have observed Tisha B’Av, this is the first time the focus takes us home in lamenting so much that we have lost in this last year and a half of what we always have counted on here in the country that built itself on biblical principles of kindness, caring, compassion and justice.

May observances of the Fourth of July and of Tisha B’Av serve as a call to Teshuva, return to the principles that has made the U.S.A. home to immigrants since its inception. It has been challenging enough to heed calls of conscience to respect and restore the rights of Native Americans, those who were at home in this country before the first of any immigrants arrived. That challenge is now overshadowed by the call to honor the principle of remembering that a nation founded by immigrants must continue to do right by immigrants, especially those in need of sanctuary, regardless of their appearance or country of origin.

As most B’nai Israel members know, there are new security measures in place around and in our building, and life at our synagogue has become more complicated. Given the inconvenience of having to be more mindful of who enters the building, along with glitches that have been common as we institute these changes, I am reminded of the rabbinic teaching: “All beginnings are difficult”. It is noteworthy that the statement does not say “many beginnings”, nor “most beginnings”, but “all beginnings”. And that is what we face as we work with these challenges of making CBI accessible while inconveniencing folks in the process. It is something that over time will become smoother, as we move beyond the beginning of this new protocol.

Regarding “security”, it is interesting that a key word describing accessing God, instead of “faith or belief”, is “Bitachon”, i.e. “Bitchu b’Adonai b’Simcha!” “Be Secure with God, with Joy”! The teaching is that connecting with HaShem reflects doing so with “security/trust”, and “certainty”. Partnership with God, reflected in relationships with people, is about developing “trust, security, and certainty”, in those relationships, and in your acceptance that God exists and is present in your life, when you open to that Presence. And that experience engenders “security”.

When Abram and Sarai went into Egypt, due to famine in the land, and at a later time, after the Covenant was entered and names were changed to Abraham and Sarah, they went to Gerar, due to famine again, and interacted with Avimelech, on both occasions, Abram/Abraham requested of Sarai/Sarah, that she agree to be identified to the king of Egypt and Avimelech, respectively, as his sister (since they each had the same father), rather than his wife. The thought was that, given her beauty, the risk would be that either of those leaders might want to add her to their harems and, in so doing, kill her husband and be rid of him as a threat. Indeed, each leader found himself in trouble with God when they did take Sarah. The natural question was, why didn’t Abraham “trust/be secure in” God to take care of any problems even if he was identified as her husband, given the power of Covenant he had entered with God, especially before connecting with Avimelech? The lesson learned was, and is, that having trust/security in God does not mean God alone would make your life safe and secure, simply in having that trust. The reality is, from Judaism’s point of view, that God works through people, time and circumstances, and you don’t ignore dangerous conditions on the assumption that you are immune to danger because you have God as your Partner.

Another teaching in our tradition indicates: “ein somchin al a nes” “one is not to assume or count on a miracle” to save you. Miracles happen with human participation as much as not. Consider the teaching that the Sea of Reeds only opened for the Israelites to cross, after one person, Nachshon ben Aminadav, stepped into the water all the way to his nostrils, before the Sea parted. The miracle occurred after an act of considerable risk. Nor are we as a people “waiting” for the Messiah/Messianic Age. We are obligated to do our part, and be responsible, i.e. engage mitzvah, to participate in bringing the Messiah/Messianic Age into our world.

I am mindful of these teachings as we move along in our increasingly precarious world with the particular details of our having to use a grant to build up security in and around our facility. That is what we have had to do in order to support safety and wellbeing for all who want to be involved with CBI, even with the inconveniences being generated.

The fence around our property reminds me of another teaching in our system that provides for a “fence around the Torah”, whereby certain activities or behavior that are in themselves permitted may be forbidden because they may lead to an action that is prohibited. Those who choose to not ride a bicycle on Shabbat are aligned with that teaching, in that riding the bike does not in itself reflect a violation of Shabbat, especially in an area with an “eruv” a designated zone beyond your home where traditional folks may carry, as if an extension of your home. However the reason you wouldn’t ride the bike is in acknowledgment of the possibility that it may break down and require repair for you to continue, something not allowed on Shabbat. Metaphorically, we have created a fence around our property to attempt to assure that folks coming to CBI will be safe.

Paradoxically, one act that a traditional Jew would not do on Shabbat, that we, at least at the “beginning” of our taking security measures, may need to have done at times, is to ring the bell when someone inside, keeping an eye on things during services, may not otherwise realize there is an attendee outside waiting to enter. While it is better to not have to ring bells on Shabbat, the higher priority is safety, i.e. security. So until we can work out that “wrinkle”, hopefully the traditionalists among us will understand the need to place the “ritual observance” in second position behind the importance of people staying safe. This is not unlike the principle that on Yom Kippur, if you have any illness that could be a serious threat to your wellbeing, you are “obligated” to eat, at least enough to keep yourself safe.

Living in this increasingly difficult world, we can appreciate teachings from our tradition that can help us negotiate these obstacles and dangerous situations, as we face them. We can certainly take comfort and even a feeling of “security” knowing that we are the carriers of a tradition that has encountered threats to our existence going back to the times of our Ancestors.

God-willing these precarious times will ease up, sooner than later, even as we continue to work with one another, on conditions in our world, and with HaShem’s help, do our part to bring the Age of Shalom into being. That will be the day when we can take down our fences and live in a world where we can trust and be secure, not only with God, and not only with those sharing values that treasure all aspects of life, but also find a world where that is the condition that prevails everywhere.